The Truce Is Out There
by King in Yellow
Summary: A couple stories back Kim set up a blind date for her 'honorary sister', Shego and Canadian government agent Joe. What could possibly go wrong? It seemed to work fine. Now, guy takes girl home to meet his mom and dad. Neighbors turn up dead, and she is suspected... The usual stuff. Kim heads to Canada, Ron in tow, to try and rescue the sitch. Darker entry in the Truce series.
1. A Little Bird Told Me

The first two Truce stories were inspired by road comedies – and Drakken and Ron were as important as Kim and Shego. Oh, and Drakken and Ron in drag was, of course, inspired by _Some Like it Hot_. The third one was more of the classic bedroom farce – with characters trying to hide the fact other characters were all at the same lodge. This one owes more to the horror genre. Ron and Kim will appear eventually – just not chapter one.

In **Truce or Consequences** Kim and Shego had something of a bonding experience as they searched for Ron and Drakken and 'adopted' each other as honorary sisters. The cheerleader also set Shego up on a blind date with Canadian government agent Joe (_Job Unfair_). When the two women worked together in **Truce Is Stranger than Friction** Shego admitted the blind date had gone very well. Shego and Joe attempted a quiet skiing vacation together in **The Truce Shall Let You Freeze**, which got interrupted by basically everyone – Ron, Kim, Drakken, Motor Ed, Mama Lipsky, and Professor Dementor.

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. All registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**A Little Bird Told Me**

"Wake up, beautiful," Joe whispered, gently shaking the green woman's shoulder.

"Go 'way," Shego mumbled. "Slept lousy..." She opened her eyes and tried to focus. "Did the crows keep you awake."

"Crows? I didn't hear any crows."

"Damn farm boy, so used to them you don't even hear them any more."

"Damn ranch boy," he reminded her. "Big difference. I'll tell mom you'll be down in hour, but she shall probably regard you as slothful."

"She already hates me," Shego mumbled closing her eyes.

"No she doesn't. She thinks you're wonderful."

"You're thirty and single. She wouldn't care if I had two heads. At least she knows you're not gay." Shego yawned, "And then I dreamt about them when I finally got to sleep." She rolled over and Joe quietly left the room.

He walked down the wooden stairs to the smell of coffee from the kitchen.

"Where's Sabrina?" his mother asked, pouring coffee into a mug for him.

"Something kept her awake last night; she's sleeping in."

"Something other than you?"

"Mother!"

"Just teasing. What would you like for breakfast?"

"I can wait until she gets up. Where's dad?"

"Out in the barn."

"If I promise to bring the mug back can I take my coffee out and talk with him?"

"What, your mother isn't good enough to talk with?"

He laughed and kissed her cheek, "You know I love you."

"I know, I know. Now get out of here so I can make enough noise to waken Sabrina without a witness."

As Joe walked out to the barn a battered pickup drove in and parked near the barn. The driver, a copper-colored man about the same age as Joe's father waved, "When did you get home?"

"Two days ago."

"Can't believe you're the stranger Adam saw. You're no stranger."

"Eh?"

The Saulteaux shrugged, "He's having his visions again. Asked me to visit the neighbors. I'm guessing Rube's in the barn since you're heading this way."

Joe nodded and the two men entered the barn.

Reuben MacKenzie looked up from his work bench at the sound of footsteps. "Joe. Ray."

"Adam's been having visions," Joe told his father.

The First Nations rancher spoke, "He says the crows tell him there's a wihtikow around. Claims the foxes told him a couple days ago, but says you can't always believe foxes. The crows told him last night."

"Wihtikow?"

"It's got different names. Some sort of creature with a taste for human flesh."

"You don't believe that, do you?" Joe asked.

"Doesn't matter what I believe," Raymond told him, "It's–"

"He's your father-in-law," Reuben finished with a laugh.

The Saulteaux grinned, "You've heard that one before."

"A few times."

The native American looked at Joe, "If you find a woman to marry, check to make sure her dad isn't a shaman before you pop the question. He made me promise to warn the neighbors, check on those who live alone."

"Well, you can tell him you warned us."

"Yeah, I'll... Oh, he said the crows told him something else."

"Winning number for the lottery?"

"I wish. Said there was a stranger here, someone with a fire spirit."

"Fire spirit?" asked Reuben.

The neighbor shrugged, "I don't talk to crows. I didn't know Joe here would be home, but can't see Adam thinking he's a stranger."

Joe laughed, "Maybe they're new crows and don't know me."

Raymond narrowed his eyes, "Maybe. But sometimes he even scares me. You here alone?"

There was a moment of silence.

"No," admitted Joe, "brought a woman home to meet mom and dad... Someone kind of special."

"Well, I don't know how the old man knew that. But he thinks she's special too. Say, her old man's not a shaman, is he?"

"Not that I know."

"Well, I've got no advice about women with a fire spirit. You're on your own."

"Come in the house for a cup of coffee?"

"Love to, but six more stops. Got to move."

"Before you go," Joe asked, "where's Gary?"

"Working up with the oil sands. He's a foreman."

"Tell him I said hey."

Raymond nodded yes, and left.

"Did you tell anyone Sabrina was coming home with me?"

"I didn't. Don't imagine your mother did either. Maybe your brother said something. It was a little hard to take all your hush-hush stuff seriously. I take it you don't think old Adam talks with crows either."

"No."

"Is your Sabrina in a witness protection program or something?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The secrecy you want. The fact she's very evasive when your mother tries to talk with her."

"Mom was asking some personal questions."

"Brothers and sisters? Where she's from? Those are pretty much normal questions."

"Sabrina is a very private person."

"This is way past very private person."

Joe sighed, "You asked if she was in a witness protection program or something. She's an or something."

"Someone you know through your work?"

The son nodded agreement.

"So you're not allowed to give your mom or me any details."

"You know I'm not supposed to talk about my work, even with you."

"Well, I can talk with you about mine. Help me get this back on the ATV."

As they worked on the engine Joe offered the comment, "She's had a rough life in spots. Had to develop a tough exterior. Underneath... She's really sweet."

His father shrugged, "Take your word for it. Hand me that wrench."

Shego was sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee when the men came in and washed up.

"Did I see Ray's pickup?" Charlotte asked.

"Yep," her husband answered. "Adam sent him out on a fool's errand. Warning the neighbors about some monster loose. I think he said wihtikow. Seemed to know we had a guest. You haven't said anything, have you?"

"Of course not. Joe asked us not to."

Shego tried for clarification, "Wihtikow? Monster?"

"Old folk tale from the First Nations. I think wendigo is the more common name. Big, gaunt, hungry thing - the story goes it eats people, but it's a creature from famine times... If they existed they'd probably eat most anything," Joe told her.

Joe's father looked at his wife, "And Ray said Adam told him a stranger was here. Someone with a fire spirit – whatever that means."

"Fire spirit?" Shego asked.

Joe laughed nervously, "Who knows what that means? You're hot. He said the crows told him that–"

"Crows?"

"Yeah, crows. Any way–"

"That's weird."

"That he says he talks to crows?"

"No. Remember, it was the sound of crows that gave me so much trouble sleeping last night?"

"Yeah, weird," Joe agreed.

Shego opted to help the men in the barn rather than another day of cutting cabbage for sauerkraut.

It was almost noon when Reuben's cell phone rang. The screen identified the caller as Raymond.

"Ray?"

The other man's voice sounded odd, "Rube? Pete Sanders is dead... More than dead... I... I called the Mounties and the coroner... You still a constable?"

"No, Gracie Swift is nearest one now."

"I'll call her. But you might want to... I don't know what I'm saying."

"You said more than dead. What did you mean?"

"Something ate him. I'm not even... There's not enough left for me to even be sure it's Pete.


	2. Who You Gonna Call?

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Who You Gonna Call?**

"Take a deep breath," Reuben ordered his friend. "You think Pete's dead, but you're not sure?"

"Someone's dead. Corpse is chewed up real bad. Something... Something was eatin' on him. One of his horses too. Others are at end of pasture and real scared."

"Don't blame them."

"I'm scared too."

"Don't blame you either. Wolves? That isn't–"

"Not wolves. All I can say is what it's not. Uh, any chance you could come out, 'til the Mounties get here? Bring something with a big kick."

Reuben MacKenzie hesitated a moment, not wanting to leave his family if there was something nasty out there. "Sure. Can be there in twenty. Call Gracie."

"Thanks."

"Pete's dead?" Charlotte asked when her husband got off the phone. "Something about wolves? Wolves wouldn't–"

"I know. Ray isn't sure what's going on, but he's spooked. Wants me to come up with a shotgun and keep him company. I told him I would."

Joe offered, "Want me to come with you?"

"Wish you'd stay here and look after your mother."

"I don't need looking after," his wife told him. "I've got my own shotgun."

"Ray doesn't scare easy. I'd feel better if Joe stayed."

"I'm going with you," Shego told Joe's dad.

Joe protested, "Stay here with me!"

"I'm going alone," Reuben told her.

Shego ignored him and looked at Joe. She raised an eyebrow. "You think I need protection?"

Joe recognized the trap. Say he needed to protect her and he was doubting her abilities. Say she needed no protection and there was no reason to tell her to stay. "Take a gun," he told her.

"I don't need a gun," she reminded him.

Reuben repeated, "I'm going alone."

"I'm going as Joe's eyes and ears," Shego told him. "I've seen some weird shit."

Joe gave her a hug, "Keep Dad safe," he whispered in her ear,

"Silver-tongued Devil," Shego answered and gave his ear a playful nip. "Know exactly what to say to a girl."

"Take a gun. It'll make Dad feel better."

On the road Reuben told Shego, "Pete's a widower... Wife died five years back. He's mostly retired. Maybe ten head of cattle and three, four horses. Ray says the body's chewed up real bad – one of the horses too."

"Bears? Wolves?"

"I wouldn't think either. Pete found a bear had killed a horse he wouldn't have tried to tackle it himself. Wolves might get hungry enough to attack a person in the dead of winter. Not now. Too much other food around."

"Which leave the most dangerous animal of them all."

"What do you... Oh, us?"

"Right."

There were several minutes of silence. Reuben wished Shego had stayed at the house. He didn't want to worry about anyone else's safety. On the other hand, Joe seemed to trust her ability to take care of herself, and he had faith in his son's opinion. "So, uh, Sabrina?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Joe..."

Shego laughed, "You're slightly more direct that your wife."

"Joe told us not to ask a lot of questions. I was grillin' him this morning in the barn. Said you met through work. I asked if you were in a witness protection program or something. He said you're an 'or something'."

Shego chuckled, "I guess that covers it."

"I'm, uh... Don't know that I like having you along. Wish you were back where Joe could watch after you. He, uh, thought you could take care of yourself..."

"He knows I can take care of myself. But I'm a stranger to you... Trust your son."

"Oh, I do... And that gets back to the question of you and Joe."

"Well, what does Joe say about me? I'm sort of curious myself."

"You that mystery date he had in France a few months back?"

"Yeah, a mutual friend... I think Joe had met... Yeah, we really met in France."

"He was real quiet about that with Charlotte and me. She grilled him afterward. Said he'd spent some time with someone really hot, but he wasn't sure anything would come of it. 'Cept a week or so later he was talkin' with her again. And 'special lady' became something of a joke in phone calls. No name until... I'm guessing Sabrina isn't your real name."

"Needed something for you and your wife to call me."

"Any chance I'm going to get a real name?"

"Nope."

"You really are an 'or something'."

"I like to think so."

"Will I get a real name by the wedding?"

"How about when the first grandchild is born?"

"Frank's already got one kid, and another on the way. But, when you and Joe have your firstborn, I get your real name?"

"Promise," Shego laughed.

They were quiet for the remainder of the ride. Both pleased with the knowledge gained. Joe had told his parents he was serious about Shego, and she had indicated that she was also serious.

There was no one visible when they parked in front of the weathered home, but Raymond came out the front door as they climbed out of the truck. "Gracie should be here within a half hour. Not sure when Mounties'll show up. You want to see the body?"

"Not constable anymore. 'Sides, Gracie'll probably have her boys."

"Boys?" asked Shego.

"Dogs, may pick up the scent of whoever did this." He looked at Reuben, "This the fire gal?"

"She's here with Joe."

Ray nodded and looked at Shego, "Your dad a shaman?"

Shego merely looked puzzled.

"Didn't explain your family drama. Charlotte and I figure Sabrina... Oh, Sabrina, Ray. Ray, Sabrina." As they shook hands Reuben explained. "No last name given. Charlotte and I figure she's probably a spy for some hostile foreign power. I figure Russia, but Charlotte thinks it may be France."

"Could be US, they can be pretty hostile."

"Nah. She sounds too American... There's some song with a line someone sings, 'Her English is too good said he, which clearly indicated that she is foreign'. I'll stick with Russia."

"Can we get back to the shaman thing?"

"My father-in-law's a shaman. He sent me out today claiming the crows told him there was a wihtikow in the area. Don't know what happened to Pete, but I know what Adam'll say. Anyway, I was telling Joe this morning he should ask if your old man is a shaman before he pops the question. So, your dad a shaman?"

"I've got no idea what you're talking about, but my guess is no."

The Saulteaux looked over at Reuben, "Tell Joe it's safe to propose."

"Gettin' back to the ugly stuff," Reuben said. "I don't need to see the body, but what happened?"

"I got no idea."

"I mean your finding the body. You said you had some more stops to make after you saw me."

"Yeah, and everything fine until I got here. Door was open, never a good sign – but maybe it hadn't latched and blew open or something. His truck's here. So I closed the door and went looking for him. Found him out by the corral. Shotgun about six feet away." He held up the gun in his hand. "One shell fired."

"And you took it for yourself."

"Seemed like a good idea."

"Don't blame you. Any sign of blood? Think he hit his killer?"

"Lot of blood, but I think it's all his or the horse. Body real cold, probably heard his horses making a commotion last night, grabbed his gun and went out to check. May not have been enough light for a clear shot."

"Look around for tracks?"

"I wouldn't know what to look for. I was spooked. Took the gun into the house and called you."

"Worried that the killer might be in the house?"

"Felt safe for about four minutes, then that idea hit. I was standing with my back to the wall when I made the calls, then went through the house real slow."

"Any signs of robbery?"

"Nope."

The coroner was next to arrive. Since Ray assured him that Pete was very, very dead and Gracie might want to attempt tracking he waited with the others.

"Joe's friend, Sabrina," Reuben explained when the elderly man stared at Shego.

"Joe home?"

Shego considered a sarcastic comment about having come out by herself, but remained silent.

"Yep, don't think he brought her for approval from Charlotte or me, probably wants to show her off."

"And you brought her to a murder investigation?"

"Things were kind of dull around the ranch," answered Shego.

"Joe's home watching his mom. Can't get any details from Joe, but Sabrina may be some kind of government agent herself. Anyhow, Joe says she can take care of herself, and she claims to have seen some pretty wild stuff."

They were all outside the house when a fairly new pickup with a topper on the back pulled in.

The squat middle-aged woman who climbed out seemed almost as wide as she was tall. Her weathered skin suggested she was also of the First Nations. She gave Reuben a look of disgust. "You aren't constable anymore."

"I called him," Raymond said quickly. "Wanted company, and he was close. I'd also forgotten who was serving now and had to ask him."

She grunted in response.

"Asked if he wanted to see the body, he said wait for you – didn't want to interfere with your investigation."

Gracie paused, then exhaled slowly and turned to Reuben. "Sorry if I... Only murder I've had, thought you were–"

"No problem. Now that you're here I'll head back."

"I, uh, wouldn't mind another set of eyes, and another gun if the boys pick up the scent." Joe's father nodded agreement. The constable then looked at Shego, "And, if it's not asking too much, who the hell is she?"

"Joe's girlfriend," answered Raymond. "She may be a German spy. Adam says she's got a fire spirit."

"Yeah, and you told me Adam said there was a wihtikow running around. You don't really believe that crap, do you?"

"Not saying I believe. But he's–"

"Your father-in-law."

"That one never gets old."

Gracie opened the rear window of the topper and let down the tail gate and three large dogs jumped out. "Which way?" she asked Raymond.

He pointed in the general direction of the barn.

"You all stay back here for now," she instructed the others. "Don't want you messing up the scent." She looked at Shego again, "If you're Joe's girl why you here with Rube?"

"I'm nobody's girl."

Reuben answered, "I think Joe wants her protecting me. According to Joe she's tough."

The First Nations woman gave a thin-lipped smile. "Think I like you," she told Shego. "How long 'til the Mounties get here?"

"No idea," admitted Raymond.

Shego and the coroner were the only two who didn't notice the dogs were behaving oddly.

"Stay here," Gracie told the others. "Ray, where exactly?"

"Just around that corner... Maybe another five meters."

Gracie and the dogs disappeared around the corner of the building. There was a wild howling, and the dogs came running back around the corner in a state of panic. "Come back here you filthy..." bellowed the constable. She didn't run as fast as the dogs. She wasn't built for running at all, but was back a few seconds after the dogs. "Where'd they go?"

The coroner pointed at the truck, they'd returned to the back and were cowering inside the covered back of the pickup.

"They've never acted like that."

"Bear?" ask Shego.

"City girl," Reuben apologized. "Doesn't know your dogs."

"They'd be happy to track bear," Gracie assured the green woman. "Ain't never seen them act like that, ever." She tried ordering the dogs out of the truck. They ignored her. She cursed the dogs loudly. They continued to ignore her. She gave up and rejoined the others, muttering "What the hell got into them?"

"Well, if someone killed him," suggested Shego, "maybe he had some kind of chemical spray to put on the body to make sure he wasn't tracked."

The older woman nodded, "Could be."

As they viewed the body Shego couldn't believe a human being was the killer. "Cougar?"

"Not likely. And don't think the boys would have reacted like that to a big cat."

"Seen one or two worse," the coroner told them as he took pictures of the site. "Abused wife finally snapped about fifteen years back... Think she's still in a psychiatric hospital."

"I remember that," Raymond agreed. "Think we ought to call up the asylums and ask if anyone's got a missing lunatic?"

"Don't say lunatic," the coroner scolded. "Mentally ill."

"Yeah, like how we never get called Indians anymore. I swear, anyone greets me with 'Ugh' or calls me squaw again I'm going to flatten his face," the constable muttered.

"How about showing the mentally ill the same courtesy you want for yourself?" asked the coroner.

Gracie frowned. "Point taken," she conceded. "Any ideas on how Pete died?"

"Assuming it is Pete. May need DNA test to... Probably get his DNA somewhere in the house. Any family needs to be informed?"

"A couple kids. I'm not sure where. I think the Robinsons will know."

The coroner spoke, "I'd like you to look around for possible weapon or tracks while I examine body and take photos. I'll need some help loading the body and... Eh, while I'm assuming the killer is long gone I'll just feel better if you're ready to shoot."

There was a short trail of blood, which appeared to be that of the victims rather than the killer since it disappeared. "Damn dogs could have followed," muttered Gracie.

Reuben stared in the direction the killer had taken, "Pollets live over that way... Did you talk with them, Ray?"

"Nope. I'll give 'em a call now."

Gracie Swift took a call of her own. "Hello … At the murder scene, where are you? … I, uh, okay. How long? … Coroner hasn't moved the body yet. We were planning to take it in, didn't know when you'd get here. … Okay then."

Shego had been close enough to hear. "The Mounties?"

"Must be slow day. Flying in on a chopper, want me to drive 'em into town after they look over the scene."

"Called the Pollets," Raymond reported. "He said they hadn't seen anything. Ruth's out in the garden, he's going to tell her to get inside."

The sound of the helicopter could be heard about six minutes later. The coroner finished his work, but waited for the RCMP to view the body before taking it to the morgue.

The helicopter set down on the pasture and two officers climbed out and pulled out two cases of equipment before the pilot took off on his return flight.

Introductions were made before they went to view the body. Dell Shannon, the older officer persisted in speaking to Reuben, as if he were the local constable – to the increasing annoyance of Gracie and discomfort of Reuben. The younger officer, Robert Beauregard, appeared too nervous to say much.

Officer Shannon stared at Shego, "Who's she? Why's she here?"

"Name's Sabrina," Rube explained. "Here with my son."

"Got a last name, 'Sabrina'?" Dell demanded.

"Does it matter?" asked Reuben.

"Maybe."

"Smith," Shego told him, "just Smith."

"Are you done wasting time?" snapped Reuben.

Dell shrugged, "Just thinking she fits the description of a woman wanted on felony charges."

"She's here with Joe MacKenzie," his partner reminded him. "He works for the government."

"So do we, Beau. Just saying, would be odd to come out to the scene of a murder and find a wanted criminal."

"Yeah, it would be," Gracie told him in an angry voice. "But I don't see you working for the government, or anyone. How about moving your damn asses?"

"Have you tried using dogs to track–" the younger Mountie started to ask as they looked over the scene.

"I'm not stupid," snapped Gracie. "They refused to track. Never seen anything like it. City girl had a good idea, unlike two Mounties I could mention. She thinks the killer probably sprayed some chemical to scare off the dogs and keep them from following."

The Mounties found nothing the locals hadn't seen, but the younger man was looking sick to his stomach as they finished their work.

Ray's phone rang, "Yes? … You sure? … Sorry, stupid question, want me to come over? … Okay, on my way."

Gracie Swift had heard his end of the conversation. "Pollets?"

"Yeah. He went out to the garden. No sign of Ruth. Checked the barn and out buildings. I said I'd–"

"I'll go over with you, and bring the dead wood with me," she said, gesturing towards the Mounties.

"If you could help load the body first," requested the coroner.

"No problem."

As the coroner closed the back of the van before his drive back Reuben spoke to Gracie, "Sabrina and I are heading back. You and Ray don't find Ruth and _you_ want to organize a search party give me a call. Be glad to help _you_ in any way I can." There was a little emphasis on the word _you_ as he spoke, meant to show deference to the new constable. Everyone but the older Mountie might have caught it.

"Thanks, Rube. Sure will."

There was a minute of silence in the truck as Reuben drove home, then he cleared his throat and said nervously, "It's, uh, okay if you need to leave suddenly."

"Why would I leave?"

"That Mountie, Dell... Thought he recognized–"

"You saying you want me to leave? You worried about me being in your–"

"No! I got no problems with you being here with Joe. Told you, never seen Joe so happy. I'm saying if you feel the need to leave..."

"I came here to spend time with Joe and meet you and Charlotte. I'm not going to change my plans... Besides, if I ran now that dumb Mountie would think I was the killer and waste everyone's time instead of finding the real killer."

"Good to hear. I was afraid you might be the woman Dell was thinking about and–"

"Didn't say I wasn't. But I'm no killer. I'm an 'or something', remember?"

"And if Dell gets it in his head to arrest you?"

Shego shrugged, "I'm not worried." She noticed a pained look on Reuben's face. "Don't worry about Joe doing something stupid like trying to get me out. I'll get myself out."

"You are an or something... Think you could work on an idea where that wouldn't be hanging over your head? It'd make having my grandkids easier."

"I'm sort of thinking the same thing... You sure you don't want me to leave?"

"For me your future is more important than your past. But let's, uh, not mention anything to Charlotte 'less we have to, okay?"

"Does keeping things from your wife run in the family? Should I worry about Joe?"

"I believe there is a time and place for things... How about I tell her when that grandchild is born?"

The rest of the ride was silent. Each wrapped in thought. Shego would like the killer to be found quickly, to get the Mounties away and keep any fallout from hitting Joe and his family. Raymond's father-in-law seemed a good suspect. It was on Scooby-Doo cartoons when she was a kid. You spread stories of a ghost, and then you pretend to be a ghost so you can steal the gold, or the oil rights, or use the gully for moving rustled cattle, or something. If his story was going to be a wihtikow instead of a ghost she needed to get information on wendigos so she could anticipate what he might do. And while she didn't know where the nearest research library was she knew a source she could reach by telephone.

"Well?" Charlotte demanded when they arrived at the MacKenzie ranch. "What's happening?"

"Not sure. Pete's dead, body torn up real bad. One of his horses too. Dogs refused to follow the scent – Sabrina figures the killer sprayed some chemical around. Mounties arrived. Coroner took the body in. Ruth Pollet is missing, Gracie may be asking neighbors to help search."

"Ruth's missing?"

"That was the last word. Maybe she waved someone down who was headed for town."

"Without telling anyone?"

"May not have seemed important at the time. I assume you'd join a search."

"Of course."

"And I'm going to call someone to get information on wihtikows," Shego announced.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Charlotte demanded.

"If someone wants us to think a wendigo is behind this, I want to know what to expect."

Joe grinned and looked at his mother, "She's pretty, and smart."

"Good answer," Shego laughed. "If we join the posse don't use all your energy, save some for later."

* * *

Kim answered the phone, "Shego?"

"Sabrina."

"Sabrina?"

"While I'm here."

"You're in Canada," the redhead squealed, "How's it going? Do his parents like you?"

"Later, Sis. This is a professional call. I need to talk with your genius."

"Wade?"

"You got another one? I thought he might do some research for me."

"Research?"

"Don't get your undies in a twist. A question came up and the middle of nowhere is not a good place to find a reference library. And, no, I'm not planning to commit any crimes, if you were worried about that."

"Not worried, just surprised. I mean you're in Canada to... You don't need him to check on whether a word is legit for Scrabble."

"Nope."

"I can get him on-line and listen in, or just send you his number."

Shego hesitated... "Just his number. Nothing for you to worry about."

Kim worried about it. With a massive exertion of willpower she managed to wait forty-five minutes before calling Wade and demanding, "What's the sitch? Why did Shego call you?"

"Folklore questions."

"Folklore questions?"

"What I know about wendigos."

"And what do you know about... When-dingos?"

"Wendigo. Pretty much nothing, but I did a fast search. Anthropology professor, a Cindi Williamson, has a chapter in her book on folklore. Some kind of demon creature. Various legends among different Native American groups. Supposed to be some sort of ravenous thing that would kill and eat about anything. It's the stuff of legends – some bogeyman to warn your kids about."

"Why would Shego call you about folklore?"

"She didn't say. But I traced the location of her call. There's a murder investigation going on right there where she called from, and a mention of a missing woman."

Kim was silent for a moment. "She might be in trouble. Any chance you could arrange a ride?"

"You leave first thing in the morning. What took you so long to call?"

"You knew I'd want to go?"

"I know you. Oh, I called Ron, he'll be there to go with you."

"Uh... Thanks. I'd better pack." Kim might have preferred Ron had not been called. While he knew she and Shego had made a sort of peace she had never confessed that she had set Shego and Joe up on a blind date. While Kim told herself she had done it to protect Joe's reputation she worried Ron might see it as a sign she didn't trust him.


	3. Smells Like Teen Spirit

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Smells Like Teen Spirit**

"_Don't sound defensive,"_ Kim told herself. _"Admit I screwed up."_ She took a deep breath and glanced at Ron, sitting beside her in the back of the small, private aircraft. "Uh, Ron?"

"Yeah, KP? Something wrong?"

"Wrong? Why do you ask?"

"You're acting kind of not you. Not that there's anything wrong with you not being you, but I kind of prefer the you you."

"I messed up, and I don't like admitting I messed up."

"See, that's what I mean. Kim Possible doesn't mess up."

"I do, and I did. I... I should have told you something in Chile, maybe I should have told you earlier. It wasn't that I didn't trust you, see, I was..." Kim closed her mouth, realizing she was getting defensive.

After a couple seconds Ron asked, "So are you going to tell me now? Or you could do it with charades... No, bad idea. Everyone hates mimes. Even mimes hate mimes."

Kim giggled. "When you and Drakken were having your cross-Asia trip and Shego and I were looking for the two of you... Shego and I became sort of honorary sisters, and... You remember that, don't you?"

"Kim, we're on a plane flying to Canada 'cause you and Wade think she may be in some kind of trouble. I still don't get it, but, yeah, it's kind of impossible to forget."

"Well, while Shego and I were looking for you, we talked about our love lives and–"

"_Our_ love lives, like you and me, or _our_ like in you two were both talking?"

"Our like in I was saying how much I love you, and she was saying her love life was the pits, so I kind of set her up on a blind date."

Ron chuckled, "Who do you hate enough to set up on a date with Shego? Will Du?"

"Uh, Joe MacKenzie..."

"Janitor Joe? But..."

"Yes, and they, uh, really liked each other. And so, uh, when we saw them in Chile it was because, uh, they had gone there to be alone. Alone together. I should have trusted you, but I was worried that because Joe works for the Canadian government and Shego is a criminal it would look bad if... and I should have trusted you... And I feel terrible."

"Because Shego and Joe hit it off?"

"Were you listening to me? Because I didn't trust you enough to tell you. I should be honest with you!"

Ron suddenly felt nervous. "Does that, ah, go both ways?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well... While we were in Chile, Drakken was worried about Shego quitting and he, um, went looking for her and, ah... Anyway, I didn't tell you."

"Drakken told you what he was doing?"

"He stayed in my room."

"He stayed in your room!"

"Well the resort was full!"

"You didn't tell me!"

"I didn't want a fight! So when he told me that Shego was there, I didn't want you to... You knew she was there!"

"Did you notice all the texting I was doing? I was trying to keep her away from any place you'd be so you wouldn't know she was there!"

The two stared at each other for a stunned moment, then started to laugh. Kim suddenly stopped, "You know what was so bad about it?"

"Besides us being idiots?"

"That last night? When you were worried about Joe, 'cause you said Shego was so dangerous, so you had us stay close?"

"Yeah?"

"I had other plans."

"Other plans?"

"We were going back to my room. I was going to 'accidentally' drop a towel over the video monitor, and I was going to show you how much I appreciated the ski trip."

Ron's jaw dropped. "How much you..."

"Yes." Kim's voice dropped to a throaty purr, "I really, really wanted to show you how much it meant."

"As in..."

"Yes."

"So if I hadn't said we needed..."

"I think it would have been romantic, our first time making love – at an expensive resort."

"Yeah, I... Maybe not, you'd have done it because I took you someplace expensive."

"Ron!" Kim flushed. "I wouldn't have done it because I felt I owed you!"

"No, but I might have worried I always needed to take you... I won't need to take you somewhere expensive again, will I?"

"Well, it would be nice someday. But, no, you don't have to... Maybe we'll even get a little private time in Canada, I don't know."

They spent much of the rest of the ride kissing.

* * *

The small number of searchers the evening of the day Ruth Pollet went missing had discovered nothing. She did not return from an unannounced trip during the night.

There were more than fifty people gathered at the Pollet ranch the next morning, prepared to start a more extensive search. One thing was discovered immediately, the dogs two others had brought to attempt tracking were no more use than Gracie Swift's dogs the previous day. It was a topic for debate, along with the suggestion of a supernatural spirit at work. Shego's theory of someone spraying some sort of dog repellant around had more popular support than ancient evil.

Shego got her first look at her prime suspect and had to tell herself that the fact he didn't look like a killer proved nothing. When the television crews talked with the neighbors of mass murderers they always said, "I can't believe he was a killer." The shaman didn't look like a killer.

Adam Walker's long hair, worn in two thick braids, was snow white under the battered Stetson. He wore them forward, covering some of the military insignia and patches from tribal conferences and Pow-wows in the United States that adorned his buckskin vest.

Shego had not shared her suspicions with anyone, but had asked Joe to introduce her to the old man.

"Ray says the crows told you there was a stranger with a fire spirit at our place."

Adam nodded 'yes'.

"Well, I don't know about the 'fire spirit' thing, but I brought Sabrina home to meet the folks. They'd been demanding to meet the woman I kept telling them was wonderful. Adam, Sabrina. Sabrina, Adam Walker."

The shaman squinted and slowly looked Shego up and down. "The crows were right. Fire spirit."

"Is that, like an astrology thing?" Shego asked. "What kind of a spirit is Joe?"

"Water spirit. Strong water spirit."

"Is that supposed to mean we're incompatible? He'll put me out?"

"This isn't an astrology thing. Lot of people don't have a spirit I can read – too weak. Maybe they have no spirit. Maybe I just can't read it. I'm not a high grade shaman or anything. Your spirit it strong. That's not astrology. I don't tell fortunes or find perfect matches. A fire spirit and water spirit could complement each other. You both have strengths where the other has weakness."

"Hear that," Joe laughed and gave Shego a small pat on the rear, "we're perfect for each other."

"I'm pretty sure that's not what he said," Shego told him. "And I don't have any weaknesses."

"Can I spend the next forty years or so testing that out?"

"Maybe. I'll get back to you after I see the size of the ring."

Gracie Swift was giving final instructions to the searchers, which included staying in groups of at least two, when a small plane flew overhead and suddenly two parachutes blossomed in the sky.

Bob Beauregard shielded his eyes from glare and looked upward, "Looks like that American girl... Possible, Kim Possible... Got no idea who he is."

"Well, if it's Kim Possible," Dell grunted, "she must have heard the criminal Shego is here. 'Course she's not authorized to make arrests in Canada, but we are."

The two Mounties casually moved in the direction of the green woman.

Joe and Shego headed toward the spot Kim and Ron would land. The Mounties followed, staying close enough to listen in on any conversation.

"Ron, Kim," Joe asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Sabrina called and–"

A Mountie forced himself into the conversation. "Sabrina?" demanded Dell, "This looks like that woman you've fought, Shego."

"Hey, I didn't ask you up here," Shego pointed out.

Kim addressed the Mountie, "My sister didn't ask me to come up, but it sounded like she might be in trouble and–"

"Your sister?"

"Adopted, honorary, whatever. We have each other's backs."

"She still looks like the woman... Are you real Kim Possible? You got some ID on you?"

"Sure, I–"

"We got a missing person to look for!" shouted Gracie. "Stop wasting time."

"No one looks more like Shego than Sabrina," Kim hurriedly whispered to the Mountie.

Gracie demanded at least one armed individual in each team, so Kim and Ron were split up. Shego offered her shotgun to Kim.

"No thanks. Not sure how to use it."

"Point it and pull the trigger, as much as I know. Joe and his parents insisted I–"

"So, what do his mom and dad think of you?"

"They seem okay with me. That Mountie suspects who I am, and Joe's dad thinks he may be right – but as long as I keep my nose clean while I'm here and give him another grandkid he's okay."

"You're pregnant?"

"No! Just... Joe and I are kind of kidding around about... I think we're kind of kidding... He's talking about asking me to marry him. I'm talking about saying yes."

Kim squealed and gave Shego a hug. "Yes!"

"Geez, Princess, you don't have to be so happy about it. It's not like you introduced the two of us or anything."

"What, I can't be happy for you?"

"Not until things are a bit more sure. I've got a Mountie who suspects he knows who I am, there's been at least one murder, and I'm pretty sure Mr. Suspicious has me pegged as his number one suspect."

Shego filled Kim in on what had happened, and shared her suspicions of the old shaman.

A distance from the two women Joe demanded, "What's wrong?"

Ron took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Don't know... I'm... Crazy scared..."

"You don't believe that Wendigo thing, do you? You and Kim have faced some incredible stuff."

"But I've never felt like this... I... Kim and I have... But this is giving me goose bumps. Every hair is... I just want to turn and run."

"Let's stop a second. Try and get a hold of yourself." Joe had not told Ron about the reaction of the dogs who had been brought in to try and pick up a scent, and wondered if he could have heard about it some other way. Not that it made sense. Ron and Kim had faced all sorts of dangers, but the young man claimed to have never experienced fear like this. And the human nose is incapable of sensing the range of odors a dog can smell. He had to believe Ron sensed something he could not understand, but the Canadian had no idea what it might be.

Joe finally told Ron to return to base, the Pollet home.

"But I want to help!"

"I know, but you must be sick. This'll be faster for me if I join another group. I know you don't want to hold me back... And I'm very worried about you too. Go back where you can call a doctor if you need to."

The morning search produced nothing.

When Shego heard of Ron's problems at noon she was tempted to make a sarcastic comment, but refrained. No point in annoying Kim, who had come to help her. And, like Joe, she knew Ron had faced greater dangers than whatever was going on here. "Hope you weren't kissing him on the flight up."

"Huh?"

"Ron. He's got to be sick. Hope for your sake he's not contagious."

Two professional guides arrived in the early afternoon. They roundly cursed the searchers for trampling any spoor that might have given a hint to whoever, or whatever, had taken Ruth Pollet. The two attempted to cover a wide circle, moving beyond the area already searched. They found small amounts of blood that less skilled trackers had missed, and prints that neither of the two could identify. By the time they found the signs, however, it was too late in the day to follow them into the wilds of scrub and trees where it appeared the tracks were headed.

All of the searchers looked at the sky, which threatened rain. But it would soon be too dark to follow the trail, and while none voiced the sentiment several of them were worried about running into whatever had killed Pete Sanders and his horse, and carried off Ruth Pollet.

"There," Shego whispered to Kim as all the searchers returned to the Pollet ranch.

"There what?"

"The old guy sitting on the tailgate? That's Adam, the shaman guy. Guy talking to him is Raymond – son-in-law."

"You really think he did it?"

Shego hesitated before admitting, "Less and less all the time. But I need a suspect. I mean, the older Mountie figures I did it, but I happen to know I didn't. Let me introduce you."

Kim and Shego headed directly toward the old man. Ron moved in Kim's direction at a more leisurely pace. And the Mounties just happened to casually stroll in Shego's direction.

"If she's really Kim Possible that can't be Shego," Beau whispered to Dell.

"Could be some actress Shego hired," Dell countered. "We don't know for sure that's Kim Possible."

Shego called, "Hey, would you do a reading on my friend?" as they neared the truck.

Adam rolled his eyes. "I don't do 'readings'. You have me confused with astrologers, or palm readers, or those who claim they read auras... Maybe it's a little like auras. Hell if I know what an aura is."

"You said I had a fire spirit."

"You do. Strong one. Strong ones are clear. Most people have weak..." He stared at Kim in amazement.

"Is something wrong?" Kim asked.

"Whole life, never saw a fire spirit as strong as hers," he told the redhead. "Now I've seen two. Can't believe it."

"Cupcake here is a fire spirit?"

"Heap big fire spirit."

"Adam," complained Raymond. "I wish you wouldn't talk like that."

"They're from south of the border. They think we all talk like that. Too much television and bad Western movies."

"Wait," demanded Shego. "What does it mean if she's a fire spirit and I'm a fire spirit?"

The shaman shrugged, "It's up to you. Spirit is part of what you are, but not all of what you are. Two strong fire spirits? Will your flames burn against the other or with the other? If together nothing can stop the two of you."

Shego noticed Ron approaching, "You said Joe and I had compatible spirits. What about Princess here and her boyfriend?" She jerked her head in the direction of the approaching youth.

Adam glanced in the direction indicated, he gave a startled look and stared hard, then his hand went to the shotgun beside him in the back of the pickup.

Ray quickly put his hand down on the gun, keeping Adam from picking it up. "What are you doing."

Ron missed the activity. "Hey, KP, Sh... Sabrina, Wassup?"

"What are you?" the shaman demanded.

"Uh, Ron Stoppable?"

"I didn't ask your name, I asked what you are."

Raymond warned his father-in-law, "I'm pretty sure none of us know what the hell you're talking about. I know I don't."

The old man pointed a finger... "This is... He... There's something odd about him."

Shego snerked, "I've thought that myself."

"Could you explain?" asked Kim.

"Let me study him for a minute," the old man requested.

"Study me?" Ron said nervously. "Can I keep my clothes on?"

"Please do," Shego ordered.

"There are two spirits within him," Adam finally said. "One is human, I can't read it, but it is there, the other so strong it obscures... Ever had a bite of something where the cayenne pepper is so strong you can't taste any other spice?"

Ron looked at Kim, "I'm still clueless."

"Hush," Kim warned Shego. She explained to Ron, "He's supposed to be able to read inner spirits, and says there's something unusual about yours."

"It isn't his," insisted Adam. "In him, but not his."

"The mystical monkey thing?" suggested Ron.

"I have no idea what you're talking about... A very old, and very powerful spirit dwells inside you. For a moment I thought you were the wihtikow... But this spirit dwells, it does not possess. Your spirit encompasses something larger than itself, you remain you. The wihtikow possesses, the first spirit is dead, and only the spirit of wihtikow remains."

"I wish you'd stop the wihtikow stuff," sighed Ray.

"I'd like to hear about it," Kim said. "I've seen some weird things and won't rule out anything automatically."

"Do you believe your friend has two spirits within him?"

"I... I think I understand. He told me some things about a trip he made to Japan."

"There are many spirits in the world, some strong and some weak. They can dwell in living creatures. They may dwell in places and things. The wihtikow has no home of its own. It dwells... No, it possesses other creatures. It is a liminal thing which–"

"What does liminal mean," demanded Raymond.

The old man grinned, "Remember that grad student from Ottawa University who came out to interview me years ago on our folklore? The cute one?"

"Yes."

"She explained liminal. Good word. Neither one thing or another, in between. Doorways are liminal space – you are neither inside nor outside. Dawn and dusk are liminal, it is neither day nor night. The wihtikow is neither strong nor weak. It is neither alive nor dead. It has no strength to take over a living spirit, but it may enter a creature dying of hunger. It can possess the body of a creature which dies of hunger as the original spirit departs. The creature's strength is magnified a hundred-fold, and its desire to feed as well."

"So, you're saying this wihtikow thing entered someone who was dying of hunger—"

"Not necessarily a person. Spirit has no size as we imagine size. It could enter a mosquito."

"It sure as hell was no mosquito that did what I saw to that body yesterday," Shego snarled.

"I said it multiplies the strength of the creature it possesses. But if you slap a strong mosquito you will crush it as surely as a normal mosquito."

"So, this thing can be killed, if it exists?"

"It exists," Adam asserted, then hesitated a moment. "Kill... Umm... You destroy the body it possesses, the spirit flees, wandering again until it finds another starving creature whose body it may possess. Because it is not alive as we know life it can not die as we know death."

"So, you're saying we can't kill the spirit thing, just mess up the physical body?"

"Look, I didn't major in wihtikow when I did my training. I got a C in spirit reading. I'm fluent in crow, speak passable fox, talk a little wolf and know a few words in bear – mostly curses. Wihtikow possession doesn't happen a lot. Old days, cycle of nature, things got killed before they could die of hunger, old and sick, or weak perished at jaws of some predator – which lost its life to some other predator when it got old and weak. Sometimes during the winter, if someone hadn't stored enough food, there'd be a starving human for the spirit to enter. That grad student… Cindi. Cindi was her name. She believes this is some legend to explain acts of cannibalism in times of famine. She doesn't believe the wihtikow exists."

"And your wihtikow could look like Ron here?" Shego asked. "I saw you move for that shotgun. You're saying we can't tell by looking?"

Adam sighed. "The creature it inhabits usually changes… Mutates! That's the word, mutates. The spirit mutates the body it possesses, whether deer, or fox, or wild cat, or human. It kills, it feeds, it changes. Some say it grows larger and larger until killed."

"We, uh, were talking about killing it before you got off on…" began Ron. "Well, any way to destroy that spirit thing?"

Adam nodded at the youth, "Excellent question from Ron Two-Spirits. The spirit can be destroyed," Adam told them firmly, as Raymond rolled his eyes. He patted his shotgun. "Loaded with rock salt. Primal element, it will destroy the spirit."

"And if it was a bear that killed Pete and carried off Ruth salt won't do a damn thing but annoy it," Ray scoffed.

"Bear would already be dead. Destroy the spirit animating the body and you don't worry about another possession."

"Piss off a bear and you're dead. You claim, if this thing exists, that blowing a big enough hole in the host body will end the problem," scoffed his son-in-law. He pointed at his shot-gun, "I'll stick with my load."

Fat drops of rain began to follow, along with the rumble of an approaching thunderstorm as the searchers headed home, wondering if they'd be able to continue the next day. Chores were finished hurriedly in the rain, slowed by both the weather and the unusual handicap of doing them while armed.

Space at the MacKenzie ranch was somewhat limited, and Joe's mother had some strong feelings about the sleeping arrangements. There was the good guest room, currently occupied by Shego and Joe, and a much smaller second guest room. Charlotte would not allow male and female high school seniors to occupy a bed. "Joe, you and Ron can use the small guest room. Kim and Sabrina can have the good room."

"How about I use the couch," suggested Joe, "it's probably more comfortable."

"Nonsense, the bed isn't that bad."

"I, uh, could take the couch," Ron offered. "Then Kim could have the bed all to herself and… You let Joe and, uh, 'Sabrina' sleep together?"

"We're adults, Stoppable," Shego reminded him. "An exalted status you and Princess here have not yet… Well, maybe she's earned it."

"Do you want me to call your parents and ask if it's all right for me to let you sleep together?" offered Joe's mother.

Kim and Ron looked at each other. "I'll sleep with my 'sister'," sighed Kim.

The storm hit with the expected fury and, while no one said it, all were certain it would destroy any chance of finding whatever had taken Ruth Pollet. They played card games and talked until time for bed.

"Sorry about keeping you and Joe separated tonight," Kim apologized. "Maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder."

"Very funny. Hopefully you and Doofus aren't planning to stay long… And, ah, thanks for coming to try and help."

"It's what sisters do."

"No, sisters fight over the same guy. Something we don't have to worry about."

Kim giggled then complimented, "You look good in the green flannel shirt and black jeans. Thinking of making it a standard uniform?"

"Don't know what Drakken would think of the change."

"I wasn't talking about new change of outfits for Drakken, wondering if you were considering hanging up the super-criminal outfit for something more domestic."

"I am not leaving crime for flannel and jeans… Do you really think I pull off the look?"

"Definitely," Kim assured her.

"No way you're sticking me out on a ranch. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here… Joe has a place in Ottawa… He'd need… Got to figure out some pardon first, or a whole new identity."

* * *

"So, uh, you and Shego really, uh, like each other?" Ron asked nervously in the small room to which he and Joe had been exiled.

"She's really something. I owe Kim… I thought she was crazy when she called and suggested Shego and I have dinner, but… Owe Kim big time."

"And, uh, what was that story about the dogs they wanted to use in tracking again?"

"They went crazy, like they were afraid of whatever they smelled."

"Are you sure it was smell?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was more afraid than I've ever been in my life today."

"You had to be sick."

"I didn't feel sick, just afraid. Afraid when I moved in the direction the trackers said the traces pointed. When I moved in the opposite direction I felt fine."

"Okay, I can't explain that."

"Well, that old man – Adam – maybe he's right about something out there."

"Clearly something is out there, but a spirit taking over something? That's crazy."

Ron didn't think it crazy. Adam had recognized the monkey spirit within him. Ron didn't understand it himself, but if he could have that spirit within him then it was possible for some other spirit to possess another creature. And if Adam was right, and Ron suspected he was, it meant Ron might be able to locate the creature… Locate the creature, but it would be painful, and leave Ron unable to fight.


	4. Of Men and Monsters

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

William Tenn (pseudonym) was a brilliant writer who has received less recognition than he deserves (in my opinion). Of Men and Monsters was one volume of a collection of his writings published in 1968.

Thanks, in alphabetical order, to gerbilHunter, MiKill, MrDrP, noncynic, and NSLC for reviews. Hey, finished it without adding a, "Please don't squeeze the shaman."

**Of Men and Monsters**

The rain still fell as those staying at the MacKenzie ranch began to stir in the morning, but it didn't fall with the intensity of the night before.

"Will we be searching this morning?" Charlotte asked her husband.

Reuben gave a non-comital shrug, "I'll let Gracie decide. Part of me wants to. Part of me thinks it would be pointless."

Kim and Shego came into the kitchen. "Can I help with anything?" the green woman offered.

"That would be lovely. You and your friend can—"

"I was offering my help," Shego told her. "From what I hear, don't ask Princess here to help in the kitchen, unless you're hoping to poison someone."

"I'm not that bad," complained Kim.

"Well, she could probably set the table without hurting anyone. And if she makes enough noise it will wake Joe and Ron up."

Shego and Joe's mother prepared batter for wild blueberry muffins. "Joe didn't tell us you're a friend of Kim Possible."

"No big, if Kim hasn't copyrighted the phrase. She knows a lot of people. How did Joe meet her?"

"Oh, it was some case he was working on, years ago... There was some terrible man, Doctor Dragon or something, and Joe needed Kim and Ron to help stop them."

"Stop them? You said it was a Doctor Dragon."

"Well, he had some sort of assistant or something... I believe Joe said it was a woman."

"That's interesting. A woman? Did he say anything about her?"

"Let me... I can't remember anything. It sounded exciting when he told us, but I didn't think it was worth remembering... Reuben?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember Joe telling us anything about some woman who was helping Doctor Dragon that time Joe met Kim?"

Joe's father glanced at the pale woman, and took a deep breath. "Um... I think he said her name was Shego, and he described her as very beautiful."

"He described her as beautiful? I don't remember that... I think he called her a hellion."

"You remember that because you're a woman. Men remember if another man says he met a beautiful woman. But I'm sure she wasn't as pretty as Sabrina here."

There had been a moment of panic during the exchange, but Shego managed to hide most of it as she offered a shaky, "Thanks for the compliment." She had wanted to know what Joe might have said years ago, but feared she might have gone too far with the question.

"Shego was beautiful, but Sabrina is a beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, caring woman... Did I leave one out?" Kim asked Shego.

"No, you hit them all."

"That's my mother's opinion. And, while I hate to change the subject," Kim lied, hoping to change the subject, "how long until the muffins are done?"

"About twenty minutes. I sort of remember that case, Joe was excited about meeting you and Ron... I'm afraid I've forgotten the details about the criminals."

"It doesn't matter. I was there, and I'm sure he's told Sabrina if he thought she was interested. Is the coffee done?"

"Yes. Pot is there on the counter. Cream and sugar on the table."

As coffee was poured Reuben's phone rang. The women only heard half of the conversation, but it sounded like a steer on a neighboring ranch had been killed and partially devoured.

As he finished the phone call Joe called from upstairs, "Ron and I are coming down. Don't eat all the muffins!"

"They aren't out of the oven yet," Charlotte called. "But no promises. You and Ron have five minutes to get down here."

Kim turned to Joe's father, "Mister MacKenzie? Could you tell us more about that phone call?"

"Hmmm... How 'bout it waits until Joe and Ron are down, so I don't have to tell it twice and you don't have to hear it twice?"

"Works for me," answered Shego. "Kid Sister is a regular Sherlock Holmes. She might find an inconsistency in your testimony and decide you're the killer."

Kim glared at Shego, "I thought you'd be on your best behavior while... Oh, that's right. You are."

Charlotte laughed, "You two sound like my sister and me."

There was light, nervous conversation in the kitchen until Ron and Joe came down. Everyone worried about what had committed the killings, no one wanting to talk about it. Charlotte and Reuben would not consider the possibility of anything supernatural. Shego remained skeptical, but would no longer rule it out. And Kim had experienced things Shego had never encountered and was most open to the idea, but kept her knowledge and opinion to herself.

Ron was still buttoning his shirt as the men clattered downstairs just in time, as Joe's mother took the muffins from the oven.

After finishing his first muffin Joe asked his father, "Any word from Gracie? Think we'll try and find Ruth today?"

Reuben shrugged, "Haven't heard from Gracie. She may give a call, knows we all want to find her, but how are we going to do in these conditions? Did have a call... Steer killed over at the Sullivans, lot of it eaten."

"Was there more than that?" asked Kim.

"Not much, mostly fact more people are getting spooked. Talk of calling for more Mounties."

Shego did not want more of the RCMP snooping around, but fidgeted slightly – unwilling to voice her opinion.

Ron spoke softly, "I, uh, think I can track whatever it is."

"Ron," Charlotte reminded him, "dogs refused to follow the scent, and those two professional trackers were having trouble. Add a bad night of rain. There won't be any trace of a trail for anyone to follow."

"I won't need a trail," he told her. "I've got something else."

"What's that," demanded Joe.

"Fear."

"Fear?"

"Yeah, I mean, yesterday I was so scared when I was out there–"

"You were sick," Joe told him firmly.

"I wasn't sick," insisted Ron. "This wasn't sick, it was afraid. See, I was in Japan and... Well, anyway, Adam says it's some kind of spirit in me." Reuben raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I can't explain it, and sometimes it gives me strength to... It doesn't now, but it can point me in the direction to go."

"By telling you the direction you don't want to go?"

"Exactly."

"You're making as much sense as the blue guy," muttered Shego.

"The problem," Ron continued, "is, uh, that I'm pretty much going to be helpless. I just wanted get away yesterday, and it'll probably get worse if I get even closer."

Shego opened her mouth to speak. Kim, Ron, and Joe expected her to say, "You're always helpless." Instead her words were, "You got guts, Stoppable. Maybe you are worthy of kid Sis. And maybe that isn't fear you–"

"It was fear!"

"Shut your mouth and work with me for a minute here, okay? Assuming that Adam isn't totally nuts, maybe that spirit thing in you had a reaction to the spirit thing Adam claims is behind the killings. Who knows what the reaction really is, but your body is going, 'What the hell?' and looking for some category to understand it." (Everyone there assumed that Shego would have said a different phrase from 'What the hell?' if Joe's parents weren't there. Joe and his parents both appreciated the euphemism under the circumstances.) "Your brain, or gut, or whatever makes the decisions for your body decided, 'I'm going to call this fear,' but it really isn't fear – you just can't process whatever the feeling is."

"Uh, what's the difference between fear and something weird that feels like fear?"

"Quiet, Ron," Kim ordered. "She said something nice about you, maybe the nicest thing she's ever said about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah," agreed Shego. "Don't let it go to your head."

"And if she's right maybe you can process the feeling better and come out fighting," Joe said to encourage the teen.

"Hope so," nodded Ron. "But you better not count on it."

"You four really sound like you're taking this ancient monster stuff seriously."

"Won't know unless we go out, Mom. If nothing happens it didn't cost anything to try."

"I say crazy too, but your mother and I will go with you," Reuben offered.

"Kim, Ron, and I can manage," Shego said. "If she's working with me there's nothing we can't do – even if Ron isn't able to do anything."

"You're taking me," Joe told them. "If you haven't noticed, none of you are Canadians – so you need me to keep this all proper."

* * *

In a motel room Dell called to his partner, "They're moving!"

"Who's moving?"

"Not sure, but I'd put money on that green woman being one of them."

"One of them? You're confusing me."

"I put a GPS tracker on his vehicle yesterday. It's moving."

"Was that legal? I thought you needed a court order to–"

"No judge around. Show some initiative, Beau. The Lord helps those who help themselves, and we always get our man. Woman in this case. Shake a leg."

"We were sent out to investigate a murder! This–"

"Never look a gift felon in the mouth. Even if she's not the killer it looks great if we bring in two criminals."

* * *

As Joe parked at the side of the road near where the searching had taken place the day before another vehicle pulled over behind him. He swore and jumped out, took an electronic device from his pocket and began scanning.

"You bastards better have a court order," he swore as Dell and Beau climbed out.

"Court order?" Dell asked innocently. "We're just out looking for a killer."

"Court order for this," Joe said as he pulled a magnetic GPS tracker from behind a license plate.

Dell pretended to feel his pockets, "Can't be one of... Oops. Must have lost it somehow yesterday."

"Like hell you did. Lost it behind a license plate?"

"Accidents happen."

"Let's see what the judge says, or your–"

Kim coughed to gain their attention, "Like you said, we're supposed to be looking for a killer."

"Sure are," agreed Dell, staring at Shego.

"Is it going to do us any good?" wondered Beau. "I mean, we didn't have a lot of luck yesterday, and last night's rain must have made things even worse."

"We think Ron may be able to locate whatever is doing this," explained Kim.

Dell raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"He's smarter than he looks," Shego assured the Mounties. "Of course, he'd pretty much have to be, right?"

"Anything yet?" asked Joe as they hiked toward where Ron had felt fear the day before.

"Not yet. I..." Ron stopped. He turned slowly, frowning in thought. "Yeah, I don't want to go that way," he said, pointing in roughly the direction the search had been headed the day before.

They headed in the direction he pointed.

Beau expressed his confusion, "Ron said he didn't want to go this way, and this is the way we're heading?"

"Something in Ron seems to be sensitive to whatever did the killings. At least it appears that way. It creates an unpleasant feeling, but Ron is going to try and lead us in the direction that makes him feel sick."

"Sound like you believe that crazy old guy's ideas," muttered Dell.

"Not ruling out any possible leads," Joe told him. "I've got a lot of faith in Kim and Ron."

"And at least we're trying to do something," added Shego. "Unlike two Mounties who haven't added a damn thing yet but an illegal bug."

"I didn't–" began Beau.

"Shut up," hissed Dell.

A couple minutes later Ron requested, "Give me a second." He was sweating harder than the day required.

"You okay?" asked Beau. "This is kind of like that kid's game, Hot or Cold, but going towards... towards whatever did this makes you feel sick? Is this safe?"

Dell felt certain is was a game of some sort, but a game designed to mislead him and his partner.

"Of course it's not safe," snapped Shego. "Damn thing has killed, and will kill more if we don't find it."

"But Ron looks sick," protested Beau.

"Ron is very brave," Kim assured him.

"Gonna try anyway," Ron said, "just don't know if I'll be any good if I can find the whatever."

Shego patted him on the shoulder, "Find it, Stoppable, and I give you a big kiss. With Joe and Kim's permission, of course."

"Only want Kim to kiss me," answered Ron.

Kim beamed, "Good answer."

"Or at least the smart answer, with you standing there," laughed Shego.

"Okay, this way," indicated Ron, and they started moving again. Ron needed more stops, and a longer time to gather strength before he was able to move on.

"We need to go back," insisted Beau, "he's sick!"

"I can do this," Ron gasped. "I just... Give me a minute."

"Want to lean on me?" offered the younger Mountie.

"Not yet, probably soon."

Brush was heavy enough they were almost at the edge of the ravine before they realized there even was one.

"Stay here, catch your breath," Joe ordered. "Its kind of steep here. Dell? You check out north, see if there's an easy place for us to get down. I'll check south. Looks pretty wild down there, lot of places to hide a den, or cave."

Ron stretched out on the ground, his head on Kim's lap. He was sweating hard as she lightly stroked his forehead.

"You're very brave," she whispered.

"I sure don't feel brave."

"And that proves I'm right!" Shego told him.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"That's not real fear, or you'd be running the other way. That monkey spirit thing in you, whatever it is, is confused by whatever is out there, and you're translating the confusion as fear."

"You argue with her," Ron instructed Kim. "I haven't got the strength. If it feels like fear it quacks like a duck."

"Eh?" asked Beau.

"He's mixing metaphors or something," explained Kim. She looked at Ron, "She's saying nice things about you. She's saying you're too brave for this to be real fear."

"Boy, if this isn't real fear I don't want to know what that feels like. She said something nice about me? Are you sure that's... that's Sabrina?"

"Hey, I'll be happy to point our your numerous short-comings when you're back on your feet. Right now you're being heroic."

"Yes he is," agreed Kim, and gave Ron a fast kiss.

Joe was back first. "Fairly easy spot to go get down about half a kilometer away."

Dell took another twenty minutes. "Not sure if I found a good way down," he reported. "but saw a place where a lot of new dirt and rocks were down at the bottom of the gully. Kind of an overhang there, so I couldn't tell what it was from, but I'm guessing there's a den or cave of some sort, probably been expanded... Not sure, but think I saw some bones."

"Find the way down closest to that spot Dell suspects," suggested Shego. "It looks real hard to travel down there... Maybe we should check it out with Stoppable from the top here, if he's still got the strength."

"How are you doing, Ron?" Kim asked.

"Lousy. I like Sh– Sabrina's idea. It looks nasty to try and travel down there."

"If you think the place Dell found could be it we'll leave you up here with the women," Beau told Ron.

"What kind of a crack is that?" demanded Shego. "You think–"

"He's probably keeping in mind you're US citizens," Dell interrupted. "Two of us are RCMP, and Joe works for CSIS. That gives us authority you don't have."

"I was also worried about Ron," added Beau. "There's a killer on the loose and he's sick. Kim and Sabrina can protect him."

Ron managed a wan smile, "Thanks, man, but let's check out the spot first."

The fresh dirt was clearly visible to those on the top of the ridge, and it appeared Dell's comment on seeing bones was accurate.

"Human?"

"Can't tell from here... Probably. Ron?"

The teen took some slow, deep breaths. "This– That's the spot. I... Yeah. That's it."

"Why don't you take him back to the road," Beau suggested to Kim and Shego.

"No way," Shego countered. "I'm not leaving Joe to face whatever's down there."

"You're not Canadian," Dell retorted, "and your friend's sick."

"Not sick," Ron gasped. "And maybe... Maybe Sabrina... I'm processing... I'm still not sure what's going on. I don't feel as bad."

"Are you sure this is the spot?" asked Joe. "If you're feeling better maybe it's on the move."

"Not feeling great, just starting to adjust. I'm not going to run now."

"Not asking you to run," Beau said kindly, "just worried about you."

"Look, I'm not sure I believe any of this," Dell told them. "But we better check this out. Ron, you should stay here."

"No way, coming with you."

"But–"

"How about we check out whatever's down there instead of arguing," Joe suggested.

"I second that," added Shego.

"You don't have a vote in–" snarled Dell.

"Sure she does," insisted Kim. "And Ron and I vote with her."

"They sort of have a point," Beau told his partner. "We can debate it after we see what's down there."

A little farther north they found a spot where it would be easier to descend into the ravine. Dell hoped it was still difficult enough to discourage Ron, but the youth managed to keep up with the group. They attempted to move back to the suspected location as quietly as possible, but the terrain made silence difficult. Nevertheless, in another twenty minutes they stood in front of an opening under a large rock.

"Now what?" whispered Beau.

"I'm going in," Shego answered softly.

"No you're not," Dell told her. "Not Canadian. This is a job for the RCMP." He had his own minute of fear. Maybe this was all some kind of trap Shego had set up for him and Beau. Of course that would mean Joe was in on it. Joe wouldn't be the first man to be led astray by a pretty face. He closed his eyes and shook it off. "I'll go in first."

The opening was not quite large enough to walk in, but wouldn't require crawling on your stomach. Of course, what was beyond the opening was unknown.

"Natural cave?" suggested Beau.

"Not with all that dirt... Not sure."

"Might be part natural cave," whispered Joe. "May have partially filled up, or a part collapsed and dirt came in. If there's a cave back there we have no way to tell how far back it might go. I'll go first."

"No, I said I was going first," Dell reminded him. "Murder investigation. RCMP trumps CSIS on this." He took a small flashlight from his pocket. "I'll be back in a minute to let you know the layout."

"The thing might see the light," Beau warned.

"Well, I sure as Hell want to see if something's coming at me," his partner answered. He was equipped with a shotgun as well as his service revolver, and wasn't about to abandon either. But he kept the pistol holstered. To keep a hand free he put the flashlight in his mouth, the other hand kept the shotgun.

Beau was on his hands and knees, staring into the entrance. Dell's foot disappeared around a rock, and the younger Mountie whispered, "I'm going in now."

"No," Joe told him, "wait like he said. We don't want to be jammed together if it attacks."

It was an anxious ten minutes until they heard a small noise at the entrance and all tensed. Dell scrambled out. "Guess was right. First few meters are the worst. Opens up pretty big. Room for the three of us, no problem. Erosion collapsed the front here, but it's more stone and less dirt further back."

"See anything?"

"No, but didn't try to find out how far back it goes. Smelled plenty."

"Can we be sure the whatsit is home? This dirt looks like it was pushed out from inside," Joe pointed out. "It wouldn't know to dig in here, so there may be another entrance and it opened this up as a back door. Why doesn't Beau stay here with Ron and the women while you and I go in? It might be out and come back this way."

Ron spoke up, "It's in there. I know."

"How do you know that?" asked Beau. "You look better, but you said you tracked it by feeling sick."

"I... I can't explain it. I'm adjusting to whatever it is I feel. It's in there."

"The three of you go in," Shego told them. "Safety in numbers. Kim and I can handle anything if the blond kid is wrong."

"I'll take lead, I've been in before."

"Let me go second," began Joe.

"My job, Mister MacKenzie. He's my partner."

"Stay here," Joe told the Americans as he prepared to follow the two Mounties.

"Like Hell we will," Shego told Kim after Joe had gone into the opening.

"Give them time," advised Kim. "You wouldn't want to get shot by mistake."

"One minute," agreed Shego. "You really plan to wait out here and do nothing?"

Kim hesitated, and countered. "Two minutes."

Dell crept forward cautiously, the light from his small flashlight inadequate to illuminate the space before him. He felt he might be safer without it on, but then would be unprepared for a monster lurking in the dark. As the cave opened he stood. The light increased slightly, daylight filtering in from the entrance, and then darkened again as Beau blocked the sunlight.

The younger Mountie kept his light on the ground around them as they waited for Joe to join them.

The trio held a strategy session in low whispers as they stood near the entrance.

"Smells as bad as you said," Joe said. "The problem is, I don't know if we've got enough light to explore this."

"Maybe we should get out," Beau suggested. "Call for more lights, and maybe additional backup." He hoped Dell didn't think he was a coward for making the suggestion.

"We're here now," represented Dell's opinion. "That kid thinks the thing is here now. I don't want it getting away. You two, keep your lights on, I'm going to blast anything that moves, so stay a little behind me. We start to the right and work our way left."

"We don't know how far back this goes," argued Joe. "Beau's right. It could take more than the three of us for this."

"Damn thing's been striking at night or early morning. Probably asleep now. Can the chat. We look for half an hour and then call for backup if we haven't found anything."

Joe kept his pistol in his right hand, as the left held the flashlight. But while the cave was relatively large he wasn't sure he'd be able to use it if they were attacked. The space was still small enough that he feared hitting one of the other men. They began their cautious search in the crannies and irregularities to their right, each wondering how far back they should go in the tunnel.

"Now, damn it!" Shego told Kim outside the entrance.

"They could shoot us by mistake," the redhead argued.

"That God-damned Mountie is willing to shoot me on purpose, but I have to know what happening in there! I'm going in!"

"Fine. I take point."

"Why you?"

"Because your Gosh-darned Mountie won't shoot me on purpose."

"I'm going first, I can make light and–"

Even as Shego was trying to tell Kim to follow her the cheerleader slipped around her and started into the entrance. The green woman hesitated just as second, she glanced at Ron, "You okay?"

He nodded yes, "Keep her safe."

* * *

The small flashlights had not been designed to create enough light for the space in which the men found themselves. Darkness and shadows were everywhere beyond the narrow beams. Every movement of the flashlight caused the shadows to shift, creating the illusion of movement by the rocks. The fetid stink of death made breathing and concentration difficult.

Dell was ready to signal leaving when a portion of the darkness struck Beau, hard, knocking the young man off his feet.

"Hell," Dell exclaimed, and swung the shotgun back toward the attacker. His gun roared, but in the darkness it was impossible to be sure whether he had hit anything.

The creature's roar shook the walls, as it grabbed Dell.

Joe swung his light, hoping to get a clear shot, but afraid of missing and hitting the Mountie.

Beau was on his feet and attacked the thing with his hands, hoping to pull his partner free.

A green light began to fill the cave.

The monster released Dell to attack Beau.

"Out of the way!" screamed Joe, hoping for a clear shot.

The thing lashed out at Beau, and the young man was knocked back against the rock wall. He hit with a sickening thud and slid to the floor of the cave, unmoving.

Dell screamed in rage, and instead of moving out of Joe's way attacked the creature himself, trying to pull his own service revolver.

The green light was brighter now, making visibility easier. But it illuminated the confusion and didn't end it.

Dell was also smashed to the side, but he struggled to get up – finding that his arm no longer worked and making it impossible for him to draw his revolver.

Joe's shot went wide, and the thing was upon him. The Canadian heard a low growl and the thing's teeth moved to his throat.

The creature jerked away from Joe as Kim delivered a drop kick that distracted it. The thing roared it and went for the slim girl, but she proved an elusive target as she struck, and struck again – trying to lure the creature into following her and moving away from the men.

Dell made it to Beau's side, and found the younger man dead, neck broken. He tried in vain to pull his pistol using his left arm.

It was bright as daylight now, the green light filling the cave to almost dazzling brilliance.

The huge beast was incredibly strong, but not especially fast. That was what kept Kim safe as she tried to entice the beast into a more open area, where she would have even more room to maneuver and avoid its teeth and claws.

"Move out of the way!" screamed Shego and Kim was happy to follow orders. She rolled to what she hoped was safety.

Kim had been singed by Shego's plasma balls in some of their early fights. She didn't really understand how the green woman's powers worked. She wasn't sure if Shego understood them herself. The cheerleader knew that using the plasma took some sort of toll.

The mass of hot plasma, three meters across, was bright as the sun as it hit the monster. Kim and the men closed their eyes to avoid the painful glare. Kim had a half second to wonder how much energy Shego had expended... And then the world went dark on them all as a large portion of the earthen ceiling of the cave collapsed on top of them.

* * *

The medics administered sedatives before the women were loaded onto helicopters for the flight to a hospital.

Kim's first memory, after the fight with the thing in the cave, was Shego complaining, "Why isn't she awake?"

"Give her a minute," Ron told her, "That was a shot of strong stuff."

"What... Where?" Kim asked opening her eyes on an unfamiliar room.

"Hospital," explained Ron.

"I can see that, how– It was like a ton of earth and rock fell on me."

"Not quite that much," Shego told her. "At least not according to Stoppable here. He says he went full monkey – whatever that means – when the Wendigo died and got us dug out before we suffocated."

"Joe and the Mounties?"

"Beau didn't make it. He–"

"I didn't get to him in time," Ron said sadly.

"You're wrong," Shego shot back. "That thing killed him in the fight. You couldn't have saved him–"

"If I could have worked through my fear earlier maybe I–"

"Maybe you could have gotten yourself killed too," retorted Shego, "And then maybe we'd all be dead because you weren't there to dig us out."

"Listen to her," Kim told her boyfriend. "Joe? Dell?"

"Another room. They got more banged up than we did, but they'll recover. I want to see Joe, but I don't want to see the Mountie, haven't quite got the how figured out. Nurse told me I should stay here. I've asked Stoppable to create a distraction for me, but he's not cooperating. Maybe you can–"

"Maybe we should wait until the doctors and nurses say you can see him."

"Know your problem, Pumpkin?"

"No, what?"

"No sense of fun, no spirit of adventure... And I really want to see him. They say he's okay, but if they've lied to me I'll-"

"Hold that thought," Ron suggested, "Mister Walker said I should tell him when Kim was awake."

"The old guy? Why?"

"Don't know," Ron said as he went out the door, "you can ask him... Oh, before I get him, you were right."

"But of course. About what?"

"That wasn't fear I was feeling."

"See! Told you. How did you figure that out?"

"'Cause I felt real fear, when some of the cave fell in. I was afraid Kim was... That was real fear."

"Hold it a second before you go, Stoppable," ordered Shego. She walked over to him, took his face in between her hands, and kissed him hard.

"Shego!" protested Kim.

"He said I was right."

"That isn't–"

"And he saved my life."

"That still isn't–"

Shego ignored her and turned back to Ron, "You have proven yourself worthy, Ron Two-Spirits, you may date my kid sister."

"You're just being difficult," Kim told her.

The green woman looked at her, "Oh, Princess? Because he saved our lives one of us owes him a night of wild sex. Would you rather do it, or let me... Maybe Joe would–"

"Uh, that's okay," Ron told Shego nervously. "Kim and I..."

"Ron and I are looking for some quality time," Kim assured Shego. "I still haven't shown him how much the skiing trip meant to me."

Shego turned to Ron in disbelief, "She still hasn't thanked you for Chile? Maybe you deserve someone better."

"No one's better than Kim."

"Maybe, but the girl's got a streak of ingratitude. She hasn't thanked you in the next two weeks, give me a call." She gave him a wink and turned to Kim, "Two weeks, understood?"

"And on that, I'm so out of here," Ron said and hastily exited the room.

* * *

Adam Walker and Ron were back a few minutes. "Okay, I'll take care of the three of you, then Joe and Mountie."

"Take care of us?"

"Smudging ceremony. That close to the wihtikow you probably need one."

"Smudging?"

"Cleansing ceremony. Your spirits likely suffered from the encounter... I don't understand something. The crows tell me the wihtikow spirit was destroyed. Did you have a shotgun loaded with rock salt?"

"Was that the only thing that could destroy a wendigo?"

"No, other primal elements – but none as easy to load into a shotgun shell."

"Could fire have done it?"

"Yes, but... I said the two of you have fire spirits, that doesn't mean you could destroy the wihtikow by... How did you do it?"

"You wouldn't believe us. Did they get a piece of the thing for testing?"

"I am certain they will, if they haven't already. They will probably say you fought a bear, or perhaps a wolf."

"That was no bear! No way in hell was that a wolf!"

"Perhaps not when you fought it, but that is what the examination will say it was. Science only knows what it can put in a test tube or see under a microscope. The DNA might say bear, but the spirit of wihtikow cannot be examined."

"But we could have destroyed it?"

"The crows say you did, but they could not tell me how. Still, I trust the crows."

"Why didn't they tell you where the damn thing was?"

"Crows are lousy at directions. It's always 'fly to that landmark'. From what young Stoppable describes I guess that a partial cave-in trapped a bear inside. When the wihtikow spirit took over it gave the animal the strength to dig its way out. But now is not the time for speculation. Now I must do my work."

He took a clay bowl from his bag, and roll of something about the size of a large cigar. "My own blend of herbs and spices," he told them as he lit it. He extinguished the flames after a minute, but the material in the bowl continued to smolder as he gently fanned the remains with an eagle feather and spoke words none of them understood. Kim felt certain she smelled cedar and sage among the ingredients. "Who gets the smoke first?"

Shego volunteered, "Ron here."

"What do I do?" the teen asked nervously.

"Just stand there."

As he finished wafting smoke at Ron a nurse passing by in the hall looked in the room, "Stop that!" she ordered. She called down the hall, "Call security!"

A second nurse ran to help, but saw what was happening. "Everything's fine," the second nurse, a First Nations woman, told the first, "smudging."

"I don't care what you call it!" the first retorted angrily. "This is a hospital." She raised her voice, "SECURITY!"

She started to move toward Adam, and the second nurse grabbed her. "I said calm down, Brandi."

An orderly arrived to check out what was happening before calling security. "What's happening."

"Grab Brandi, she's trying to interfere with a holistic treatment."

"That's not–"

"Shut up, or I'll report you to administration." She looked at those in the room, "Any of you have a problem?"

"No." "Nope."

Brandi stormed out. The second nurse stayed for the rest of the ceremony and requested, "Could you include me?"

Adam looked puzzled, "You feel a need for cleansing."

"I'm worried about Brandi reporting me to administration."

"This doesn't bring good luck," he reminded her.

"Doesn't bring bad luck," she answered. "Please?"

The shaman included her, then gathered the ashes from the bowl and requested. "I need to perform a second. There is a Joe MacKenzie and Dell Shannon who were admitted also."

* * *

In another room Dell stared vacantly at the ceiling. "Beau was a good man."

"Yeah... Yeah he was," agreed Joe from another bed.

"He had nothing to do with that bug. I was the one who... He didn't even know."

"I suspected that."

"Good. You can report me if you want, but don't drag his name into that."

"Don't plan to report you. You were just trying to do your job."

"My fault Beau is dead."

"How do you figure?"

"If I hadn't been suspecting your friend I'd..."

"You have done what differently? Your job is dangerous."

"My head wasn't in the game. Wasted time thinking your Sabrina was behind it. Maybe if..."

"You can use her real name."

"What's in a name? Sabrina Smith isn't wanted for anything. Wouldn't want to piss her off. Not after what I saw."

"And I asked what would you have done differently? Would you have stood outside while Kim and Sabrina went in?"

"No... Hell, I just think Beau might be alive if I wasn't such an ass."

"While you're feeling like that I'd like a favor, would you let her leave Canada quietly?"

"She saved my life. Hell, she wants to move here and I'll give her a character reference – as long as you can keep her straight."

Joe was trying to figure out if Dell's comment was honest when a knock sounded.

"Come in," called Joe, wondering where Shego was. Had she left for the States already?

She did not come in, but Ron began to pull the heavy curtain that divided the room, "Give you a little privacy," he explained to Dell.

"Tell her to come on in. I haven't reported her. Don't plan to. Why's the old guy here?"

"Smudging ceremony," the nurse explained. "Mister Walker says that after what happened to you... What did happen to you? I heard something about a cave in, I think. Oh, do either or both of you want this? If you do not wish to participate I–"

"I'll take it," Joe answered quickly.

"Cave in was the easy half," Dell told the nurse as Shego cautiously entered the room. She put her arms around Joe and held him tight. "Real injuries were from the fight before the cave in."

"What fight?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out for my official report."

As Adam began to prepare a second ceremony Dell warned, "I don't believe in this stuff."

The old man shrugged. "You have appendicitis. Does it matter to the surgeon if you don't believe in appendectomies?"

As preparations continued Ron asked, "How bad are you two hurt? I'm sorry, I... I liked Beau. Maybe if I'd worked through–"

"Not your fault, I shouldn't have wasted time suspecting 'Sabrina' here. Maybe if–"

"Self-recrimination does't do the ceremony any good," Adam warned and lit the second roll of herbs. "Quiet will not make the ceremony more effective, but my nerves would appreciate it." He hesitated a moment before stopping the flame, "You were all very brave. Nothing can compensate for the loss of a good man, but if you had not acted you can be certain even more would have died." He performed the ritual and departed after the ceremony.

Kim repeated Ron's question after the shaman's departure, "How bad were the two of you hurt?"

"Dell has a broken arm and some cracked ribs. Mostly bruises for me, with a minor break of the fibula."

"There are no 'minor' broken bones," Shego snorted. "How long you going to be laid up?"

"They're going to ship me back to Ottawa for rehab. Month. Month and a half."

Dell spoke up, "He could probably go to his place, if someone with a fire spirit stayed with him to give him some TLC."

Shego snorted, "Don't take this wrong, but how stupid do you think I am?"

"Not a trap. Look, I owe you. Not going to turn in someone who saved my life... Not going to arrest anyone who saved my life as long as she's not committing any crimes at the moment. Between Joe and Kim and Ron vouching for you I figure you've turned a new leaf and won't be doing anything crooked."

"Sorry, haven't turned over a new leaf... But I'm honest as long as I'm around Joe and Princess here. They're such do-gooders they'd probably arrest me for walking on the grass if I shouldn't."

"Been asking her to marry me," Joe told the Mountie. "I think six or seven kids would keep her busy."

"Like hell," Shego told him. "Listen, ya dumb Canuck, it's two kids max, understood?"

Joe glanced over at Kim, "Not sure, I think I heard her accept my proposal."

"Wait! I–"

"That's what it sounded like to me," agreed Kim

"That wasn't–"

"Me too," Ron threw in.

"Joe and I will continue this conversation, privately," Shego warned the others.

"At his place in Ottawa?" asked Dell.

Shego grinned, "Yeah."

–The End–


End file.
